Hawaii May 2011

The last time we were in Hawaii was just before we found out I was expecting Avery. For a girl who has been spoiled enough to go to Hawaii for 7 years in a row, missing the past 2 years was a painful experience for me. (I know you are all feeling so sorry for me) To say that I was ecstatic about going on this trip would be a huge understatement! I couldn’t WAIT to get there! Last fall my mom and dad had invited any of us kids and our spouses to go to Hawaii with them. Come one, come all was their take so we quickly RSVP’d to count us in! Julie and TJ  were also on board! Ryan and Nic couldn’t make it due to Ryan’s change in employment which fell at the same time of the trip and Heather and Steve had just moved to Texas and didn’t know anyone that could watch the kids for a week! With extra space in the hotel units we invited some close family friends to fill the void left by Heather and Ryan. It all worked out great and having Richard and Mahalia with us felt like having more family with us! Richard served his mission with my parents and was one of their AP’s and now works for Adam as the Manager of the Salt Lake Office. We absolutely adore his wife and honestly feel like Richard is the little brother we never had!

Adam and I arrived on Friday and waited at the airport for Mom and Dad to get there too. Within an hour we were in the rental car heading to the hotel to check in, unpack and wait for Julie and TJ and Richard and Mahalia to arrive. When we got to the hotel we had a fun surprise of my “foster” sister Jennifer and her cute family already being at the hotel. My dad knew she was there and thought it would be fun to surprise us all! Jen and her little Campbell popped out from behind a tree in the lobby and we all hugged and giggled while Jen relayed the story of how she decided to be there at the same time as us! It was so fun to see her and meet her little baby boy who we hadn’t met yet!

           Me, Jenny and Campbell in the Hotel Lobby after the surprise!                        Cute baby Wallace with Auntie Julie

After checking in Dad and Adam of course took off to the Golf Course to try to get a round in before heading out to dinner! Mom and I unpacked a little and headed to the little restaurant grill by the beach for lunch. Then we hung out at the pool with Jenny, Jeremy and the kids for a few hours til it was time to go to dinner! Julie and TJ and Richard and Mahalia finally arrived that night and it was time for the party to begin!

The next morning the guys took off early for Golf while us girls headed for the pool for a day of sun. I got the WORST sunburn I’ve ever had even though I put 30 sunscreen on 3 different times during the day. It was so painful but being in Hawaii I endured and made it thru happily! That night we ate at PUKA DOG in Honolulu, a place I HIGHLY recommend to anyone travelling to Honolulu! Soooo worth it!!!!

Sunday was fun cause after church we decided to go visit the Punchbowl, a naval cemetery and memorial for all military ever killed or lost at sea during the 2nd world war! While we were there we saw a tour group that had Pearl Harbor survivors with them as their tour guides. It was pretty humbling to see those men! Afterwards we headed to Diamond Head, an extinct Volcano, and hiked the short but steep hike to the top! The views were spectacular up there! Well worth the hike!

After Church we headed to our Favorite Breakfast spot! The JW Marriott Breakfast Buffet. Albeit expensive, I dream about this breakfast at night! :-)

Look closely at the elderly man in the Hawaiian Shirt! His hat has “Pearl Harbor Survivor” embroidered on it!

I’ve always been fascinated with stories about the War and wonder how different things would be for all of us right now had those valiant soldiers not given up so much so we could have the freedoms we have today! 

The guys on the Diamond Head trail.

The Girls on the trail.

Mom and Dad on the trail

Yep, that’s my 66 year old father doing real chin ups! I can’t remember how many he did but WAY more than me since I can do a total of ZERO!!

Mahalia and Julie in the dark tunnel                                          The VERY LONG AND STEEP staircase we climbed

Gorgeous Views from the top

From the Top of Diamond Head overlooking Honolulu and Waikiki

The rest of the week we spent at the pool, shopping, meeting the guys after golf, hearing about every shot of the golf rounds, eating good food and enjoying every minute of being together! One highlight of our trip was the fluke that we ended up being in Hawaii at the exact same time that our BFF’s from Colorado, who now live in Utah, The Armstrongs. We have tried for years to coordinate a trip with them and it never works out but a few weeks before we left I happened to be on the phone with Mindy and talking about vacation plans for Spring Break. Randomly I heard her son say something in the background about their trip to Hawaii. As it turned out we were both going to Hawaii at the EXACT same time and staying at the SAME resort! Seriously, what are the chances? We didn’t see them much but sure enjoyed every minute with them that we could get! 

Pool Day

Kerry had turned 40 a few weeks before Hawaii so to celebrate we took him to dinner at our favorite place in Hawaii: Roys! Our friends from Colorado, Chris and Kristin Matson were there with Kerry and Mindy and the 6 of us had a great time catching up! After dinner Kerry announced “this is the best meal I’ve ever had!”

The Birthday Boy!

                       Kerri, Chris and Adam                                                       Me, Kristin and Mindy

I LOVE this picture of Kerry! He’s looking at Mindy just after we sang Happy Birthday to him! Just wish I’d caught a shot of her looking back at him!

On Wednesday Adam, Dad, TJ and Richard headed to the other side of the Island to golf at Turtle Bay. Kerry and Chris joined them so that afternoon Mom, Julie, Mahalia, Mindy, Kristin and I drove over to meet them for dinner! It was a beautiful day and so fun to sit outside and eat more yummy food!

TJ bought this hat for my dad! Soooo funny that he actually wore it at dinner!

More pool time!

Diet Coke Refill Cups are always a MUST!!!!!                                Good Books (julie is reading LONE SURVIVOR here! HIGHLY recommend it!)

My FAVORITE thing is Lunch at Ko’hele’s! YUM!!!!

Beach Time

We finally got down to the beach on our last day! TJ doesn’t like the sun so he made himself a “towel tent”! Its SOOO Funny!

Cooling off in the water!                                                                 Dad being silly!

I LOVE my sister! We always have SOOOOOO much fun together! I can honestly say that I don’t think there is another person in the world like her! She’s fun, honest, wise, beautiful, confident, real and hilarious, not to mention that she is ROCKIN a bikini and has 4 kids!! She may be my baby sister but she’s also one of my BEST friends! Don’t know what I’d do without you Juje! We may not have had the choice to be sisters but I’m glad we have chosen to be friends! I Love You!

Checkin out the New Waterslide Pool!

My smokin hot, albeit farmers tanned, husband! (That’s what ya get when you golf 36 holes everyday in Hawaii!)

My cousin, Jordan and his wife, Stacie and baby girl, Lily, came by to visit! He’s been in the Marine Corp and completed 2 tours! He’s based in Hawaii and is was so good to see him. The last time we saw him was before his first tour! Nice that he’s finished his time and won’t be in harms way anymore!

GOLF

The guys LOVED their week of freedom and golfing! They played at least one but usually 2 rounds of golf everyday and kept apologizing to us about it! I told Adam not to apologize at all! This was his vacation too and if he wanted to golf than that’s exactly what he should do! On one of the first days he said “the best thing about this vacation is that if you wait around long enough you’ll be golfing again”. I think that was the quote of the week! TJ LOVED it!

Turtle Bay Golf Day

Hurts my heart that we don’t live close to the Armstrongs anymore! BFF’s by default since Mindy and I never gave them a choice, it’s a good thing these guys get along so well!! 

It cracks me up how serious these guys are about their golf. Our new video camera has a frame by frame feature where it puts the video into a frame by frame picture. I did not know this when I bought the camera but it has brought such joy to Adam and his golf game!

                               Dad                                                                                      Richard             

                                       TJ                                                                                       Adam

 

HONORABLE MENTION EVENTS OF THE WEEK!

When we lived in Colorado Adam used to always say “Ah, c’mon” when something happened that he didn’t believe or that was a little off color! The Armstrongs have teased him about it for years! While driving I saw this bumper sticker in the back window of a pickup truck and had to take a picture! I immediately texted it to Mindy, Kerry and Adam! So funny!

I love that Julie looks like she’s 10 in this picture! SOOOOO funny!       Look at TJ and Richard’s faces! SOOOOOO funny!!!

Disney’s Hawaiian Vacation Club- Disney is building a huge resort just down from where our Marriott time share is. We were all curious about what it looked like on the inside so we asked if we could take a tour! We had to dress up in these lovely outfits to go inside! After seeing it let me just say that Disney never does anything half way! The place is AMAZING! We’ll have to stay there for a night or two sometime when we go to our timeshare!

Before heading to the airport we went in to the Ala Maona Mall in Honolulu! We were waiting for Adam, TJ and Richard to meet up with us when all of a sudden Julie grabs my leg and starts saying “Dog, Bounty hunter, Dog, THAT’s DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER! He just went into that store!” She was almost hyper ventalating with excitement and soon she and Mahalia had decided they needed a bottle of water and followed him into the coffee shop he was in! They stood in line behind him and ended up having a really nice little chat with him about Utah, Mormons and his son who is a Mormon! Julie and Mahalia could not have been more excited! If our trip had been a complete disaster, this Dog Meeting would have turned it into the best trip ever! Since our trip was fantastic already, this only made it better! I snapped this picture with my cell phone from way far a way but trust me. It’s him!

Last but not least, to my sisters: Heather and Julie I have an announcement for you……

As of this trip I am officially retiring my FAVORITE, floppy, sunblocking hat that you both HATE!!

So long Floppy Hat! You got me through many fabulous books while sitting by the pool/on the beach!

Never will I find a hat that I will love so much as you! 

 

I HEART Hawaii!!!!! Till next time….